Contrary to news reports, the proposed 2020 budget of the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President has not yet passed the scrutiny of the House Committee on Appropriations and thus, yet to be approved.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman issued this clarification as he pointed out that what was misconstrued in the news media as swift committee approvals were those directed to motions for the termination of briefings conducted by the two highest government offices in the country.
“With respect to the reported swift approval of the proposed 2020 budget of the Office of the President proper, I wish to clarify that my unopposed motion was only to terminate the briefing, subject to manifestations and interpellations during the plenary deliberations,” Lagman explained.
It was reported yesterday that the House Committee on Appropriations approved on Friday the OP budget in just five minutes.
President Duterte’s office proposed an R8.2-billion allocation for next year. The amount is 21 percent higher compared to the current annual budget of R6.8 billion.
The appropriations panel chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab supposedly “approved” the OVP budget in a slower phase of 24 minutes.
Vice President Leni Robredo had proposed a R684.22 million allocation for next year but this was slashed by the Department of Budget and Management that sent a R673-million OVP budget proposal to Congress.
Robredo’s 2020 expenditure proposal is less than R2 million higher than the approved 2019 allocation of R671.55 million.
Lagman, chairman of the appropriations committee during the 14th Congress, explained that all budget allocations proposed by government agencies are “not set or ripe for approval” during the briefing stage of the budget process. (Ben Rosario)
